Certified Kind offers certification, education, and consultation for cannabis growers and edibles processors that are committed to earth friendly practices. The Certified Kind rules are similar to USDA Organic but Certified Kind has additional requirements to ensure fair treatment of labor plus rules that address environmental issues specific to cannabis production. Certified Kind is guided by leading experts in organic certification compliance.

Andrew Black

Certified Kind founder and Director, Andrew Black, spent the past 11 years working for Oregon Tilth, one of the nation’s most trusted organic certification agencies. Andrew has worn many hats in organic certification, including Farm Program Manager, Inspector, Final Reviewer, Latin American Specialist, and Certification Officer. Andrew has inspected hundreds of farms and food processing facilities in the United States and Latin America and has made certification decisions for hundreds more. He is an expert compliance reviewer for products certified to the USDA National Organic program plus the organic standards of the European Union, Canada, and Mexico. He also has hands on experience growing plants in greenhouses, and for several years grew vegetables for 15 families from his small urban farm.

Christine Coltellaro

Certification and Strategy Specialist, Christine Coltellaro brings more than 5 years of professional experience working for the largest organic certifier in N. America. She has worked closely with farmers, processors, policy makers, and colleagues on behalf of advancing organic agriculture. She attended the University of Colorado and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Env. Studies, focusing on sustainable agriculture. She has worked extensively in the food service industry and managed a small vegetable garden and fruit orchard before landing comfortably in the world of organic certification.Christine is passionate about pragmatic and effective ways to keep our planet healthy -- It’s the only one we’ve got! She loves to grow things and make things, and is excited about the creative ways in which cannabis is being used beyond the flower. She is grateful to be a part of this evolving industry and feels hopeful for the future of legal cannabis.

Sara Digby

Certification and Marketing Specialist, Sara Digby is is well versed in organic standards as well as certified practices. Sara has worked directly with the WSDA Organic Program to educate growers about sustainable agricultural practices. Her involvement in the organic industry, coupled with her experience with medical cannabis production enables her to provide businesses with resources to succeed in a growing niche market. She is passionate about the potential of an environmentally responsible and safe cannabis industry. Sara has a creative passion for helping people of all ages appreciate the wonders of the natural world and can sometimes be found teaching about ecology and native plants to high school students.

Certification Specialist, Garth Kahl has been an organic farmer since 1989 and an organic inspector since 1996. Garth has worked as a Certification Program Manager for a major US-based organic certifier, and has set-up quality control systems for organic certifiers. Garth holds a BS in agriculture from Cornell University and serves on the board of directors of the International Organic Inspectors Association. When not busy inspecting or consulting on organic certification, he and his wife run a small, diversified crop and livestock farm, producing certified organic blueberries, vegetables, lamb, wool and goats milk. In previous years they have produced medicinal cannabis under the Oregon OMMP. Garth has inspected hundreds of farms and food processing facilities in the United States and Latin America and is an expert compliance reviewer for products certified to the USDA National Organic program and the organic standards of the European Union, Canada, and Mexico.